THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS -No. 74B
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by
February 15, 2000

This third section of the 3 section newsletter has articles called
Pogachel-Taste of Burgenland, OZ Articles Producing Results, Some
Historically Significant Epidemics, Message From Gerhard Lang In Eisenstadt
and URL and Member Changes.

POGACHEL (POGACSA)- TASTE OF THE BURGENLAND (G. Berghold)

I've written about these tasty ethnic biscuits before, but a recent article
culled from the Allentown Morning Call (Sunday, May 16, 1999; "Cooking
Connection, Sausage, Biscuits Are Link To Hungarian Heritage For Church
Volunteers", by Sonia Csencsits) suggested a repeat. Those of you who
remember eating in the kitchens of your immigrant ancestors ate dozens of
these larded biscuits from all sorts of recipes. When I make them I'm always
stitching another thread to my roots.

It seems that the ethnic Hungarian members of Grace Lutheran Church in
Fountain Hill (Bethlehem), PA get together twice a year and make these
biscuits for sale, to benefit the church and its mission program. To make ten
dozen, they use 16 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 pound lard, 1 pint
sour cream, 8 eggs, 6 tablespoons yeast, and enough milk to make a dough
("make a dough"- remember that Burgenland cooks' expression? I wonder what
the German [Hianzen] expression is?) Some times they add grammels
(cracklings-the renderings from lard, like bacon bits). The dough is allowed
to rise three times and the dough is repeatedly rolled and folded before
cutting to make a flaky biscuit, like making a croisant. They repeat the
recipe as often as necessary to fill their orders. They agree that potatoes
and even cottage cheese can be used, but don't use those ingrediants for
their sale biscuits.

Now I've made a lot of pogachels. I've never used sour cream, eggs or yeast
and always use potatoes, but variations are something to try. A lighter
biscuit might be fine to eat when drinking wine or to serve to guests. I like
a heavy floury pogachel with a bacon flavor. When you bite into it the
biscuit should compress. I've made a less than satisfactory pogachel by using
dehydrated potato to make mashed potatoes which I then add (about half and
half-make a dough- roll and cut)to Bisquick biscuit mix and some bacon fat.
Better than nothing but not the real thing.

Some of the recipes (Grammelpogatscherl) from my Mühlgraben (southern
Burgenland near Styria) cook book use flour, grammeln, yeast, milk, white
wine, sour cream, even a little sugar, but no potato. Has modern affluence
eliminated potato as a flour stretcher in Burgenland dough?

This kitchen article reminds me that Fastnacht is fast approaching (no pun
intended). Wonder if I can talk the wife into making a batch of apricot jelly
"Fastnachts" (Krapfen-doughnuts). Then perhaps a nice beef tages soup with
nockerl, a thick goulasch with potatoes, a kraut salad, some pogachels and a
Blauburgunder wine, perhaps marmaladen Palatschinken for desert and Viennese
coffee mit schlag, Fastnachts and Slivovitz to finish. What a great way to
start Lent!

OZ ARTICLES PRODUCING RESULTS (from Albert Schuch)

If you haven't contacted Albert Schuch concerning placing your immigrant data
in OZ you're missing a good thing as this message indicates.

"I am pleased to tell you that I have had feedback as a result of the article
in O.Z., from a man in Austria whose wife has a Strodl among her ancestors,
and together we hope to pursue the link."

In the last issue of OZ (Jan. 26) that I've received I noticed
"Verwandtensuche" articles for members Anna Kresh, Ty Keller and Angela Latta.

SOME HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT EPIDEMICS (extracted by Anna Kresh)
(Ed. Note: in addition to war and civil unrest our ancestors were greatly
affected by plague and pestilence. Poor water and personal hygiene were only
some of the health concerns that contributed to a high mortality rate. I
still shudder when I think of the many small streams that flowed through
villages and served as a local water source. I've read of local laws and
customs which required that clothing not be washed or sewage emptied into the
stream during the daylight hours when water was taken for use! Heaven help
those living downstream! Even wells on the Puszta were frequently
contaminated by livestock and privies. As if this wasn't bad enough, then
came the world wide epidemics-memorialized on the many monuments (Pestsäule)
erected to give thanks for deliverance from the plague.

Anna Kresh writes:
My immigrant parents in Northampton, PA were very much affected by the 1918
influenza epidemic. They married in 1912 and when three of their first five
children died between 1914 and 1919, in addition to the outbreak of World War
I, their plans to return to Austria-Hungary were delayed and finally dropped.
In searching for information on the 1918 epidemic I came across the following
web site. I thought that some BB members writing their family histories might
like some information on the epidemics that may have affected their ancestors
and our access to their early records.

SOME HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT EPIDEMICS - Duke University, Chapel Hill, NC,
presents a very detailed online list of epidemics suffered throughout
history. The following extraction lists only those epidemics touching the
area in Europe that may have affected our Austro-Hungarian ancestors. For a
complete list of Duke University's Historically Significant Epidemics
(including the many outbreaks in the U.S.) visit their web site at
<http://www.botany.duke.edu/microbe/chrono.htm&gt;.

<start of extract>
1148 AD. An epidemic at Adalia on the coast of Anatolia wiped out soldiers
and pilgrims of the Second Crusade and facilitated their defeat by the Turks.

14th century. The Black Death, an outbreak of bubonic plague, was the most
devastating single epidemic of all time, killing probably a third or more of
the population of Europe and Asia. It originated in central Asia and had
already killed an estimated 25 million people before it reached
Constantinople in 1347. From there it was spread around the Mediterranean by
merchant ships and by crusaders returning from the middle east. By 1350 it
had spread throughout Europe, and at least another 25 million people had
died. The social upheaval that ensued is generally regarded as the end of the
Middle Ages. Outbreaks of bubonic plague continued sporadically in various
European locations throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.

1494-95 Syphilis first appeared in Europe among Spanish soldiers in Naples.
Historians differ on whether it was brought back by explorers returning from
America. The Italians called it the Spanish or French Disease, the French
called it the Italian disease, the Russians called it the Polish disease, and
the Arabs called it the disease of the Christians. Smallpox, which had
existed previously in Europe, also got its modern name at this time, to
distinguish it from syphilis which was also known as "the pox".

1576 Paris and several other European cities suffered from diphtheria. This
epidemic marks the first accurate description of this disease, by the
physician Guillaume de Baillou. Two years later he described whooping cough
in its first confirmed outbreak, although the disease probably had existed
prior to this time.

1590-1610 Plague again swept many European cities.

1618-48 The period of the Thirty Years War in Germany was marked by repeated
epidemics, including typhus, plague and dysentery that spread throughout
Europe.

1679 Plague spread from the Ottoman Empire into Austria, killing thousands of
people especially in Vienna and eastern Austria.

1805-07 Typhus outbreaks occurred during the occupation of Vienna by the
French army in 1805, and spread throughout central Europe.

1830-31 An influenza epidemic began in Asia, late in 1829, and spread from
there in 1832. The disease reached Moscow and St. Petersburg in the winter of
1830-31 and spread westward. Another outbreak spread through Europe during
1836-37.

1826-37 The second cholera pandemic of the 19th century, and the most
devastating one, began in Bengal and spread through India in 1826. By late
1830 it had reached Moscow, and from there spread westward into Europe in
1831.

1849 The third major worldwide pandemic of cholera, again starting in Bengal,
reached Europe and the U.S. in 1848-49. The English physician John Snow
demonstrated in 1854 that it was spread by contaminated water.

1881-1896 A fifth cholera pandemic was notable for the discovery of its
cause, by the German physician Robert Koch. Like its predecessors, this
epidemic began in India, and spread both east and west from there. By this
time improvements in sanitation kept it from affecting many European cities.

1889-90 A worldwide epidemic of influenza, the most devastating to that time,
began in central Asia in the summer of 1889, spread north into Russia, east
to China and west to Europe.

1890s The third plague pandemic began in China in the 1850s and spread slowly
until it reached the seaports in the 1880s. Sporadic outbreaks continued
worldwide for years, and officially this pandemic was not considered over
until 1959.

1917-1919 The most lethal influenza pandemic ever killed half a million
people worldwide. Its spread was facilitated by troop movements in the
closing months of World War I. Mortality rates were unusually high for flu,
especially among young, otherwise healthy adults.

This list was compiled largely from "Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence",
edited by George C. Kohn, and published by Facts On File, Inc., 1995.
<end of extract>

MESSAGE FROM GERHARD LANG IN EISENSTADT
(Ed. Note: I'm always pleased to hear from Gerhard, especially since his
email always brings us bits of Burgenland musical and festive tradition.)

Gerhard writes: You're quite right, I'm going to greet the new year with
music. I will be going to Reichenau and Rax, Niederösterreich, to play dance
music at a hotel. After many years playing in various groups for lots of
weddings, Zeltfests, Weinkosts (have you heard about those feasts - most
vine-growers of a village present their wines at a special place, music
groups play and people enjoy wine and Brathend'l or Bratwürstl) I decided to
play as a "One-man-band". Did I ever tell you that I'm in the Musikverein
Rust, playing clarinett, acting as tambour-major, watching the treasury and
doing the public relations? And if some time is left, I play dance music with
my keyboards (I learned to play accordion for about seven years and changed
later on to the keyboards).

I've already prepared Johann Strauss' "Donauwalzer" (Blue Danube Walz)- the
traditional dance for the New Year here in Austria. People listen to the
strikes of the "Pummerin" at St. Stephen's (Bells of the Cathedral) at
Vienna, which are brought by broadcast exactly at midnight into every home
and then they dance to the Donauwalzer. My wife Martina will be with me and
we'll be back at Eisenstadt on Jan 2nd, and I'll go right to my bank branch
to look what the Y2K has brought, to check the computers and the
money-machines and to prepare the statements for Jan. 3rd, the first day of
work in the new millenium (do people in the U.S. too worry if 2000 or 2001 is
the real change to the next year-thousand?).

Last year was quite a stressful one and my genealogical research had to step
a little bit into the background. The Musikverein Rust took a lot of my time,
we celebrated our 25th anniversary at Holy Sunday (is that the right word for
"Pfingsten"?), prepared a concert with Strauss music in June, played
"Gästekonzerte" during the Fridays in summer. These concerts are always well
attended by tourists and we play the traditional entertainment "Blas"-musik -
Polkas, Walzers, Marches and we prepare a "Show-block" every year, where we
dress up as well known showstars and sing along to special arrangements of
their music. Due to those concerts we were invited to Switzerland at the end
of August by a tourist, who visits Rust every summer and who likes our
"Gästekonzert". His Musikverein in Switzerland celebrated their 150th
anniversary and we spent 3 days there, playing and taking part in a parade.
Our most important event was a concert at Eisenstadt's cultural center on
Nov. 13th. We call it "Martinikonzert" because it takes place on the nearest
Saturday to Nov. 11th, the day of Saint Martin, the patron saint of
Burgenland. It was hard work to rehearse all the pieces - we played e.g. a
medley out of "West-Side-Story", the "Kaiser-Walzer" by Strauss, "Irish tunes
from County Derry" (variations on the traditional Irish song "Danny Boy") and
a few modern compositions. The last piece - the traditional "Zugabe" was the
"Radetzky-Marsch", written by Johann Strauß.

We're already planning for 2000 - we will be at Meran, South Tyrol, in
October, taking part at a big Blasmusik-festival as official representatives
of Burgenland's Blasmusikverband (sorry, I didn't know how to translate that,
it's the head organisation of Burgenland's Blasmusik-bands). You can see that
being in such a "Verein" takes a lot of time ;-)

At Christmas I sent some email to my friends and members of BB, from whom I
had contacts during the last few years and I found it nice to ger so much
response. I heard from Leo Stern of Hellertown, PA. and Margaret Kaiser, who
sent me some information on Langs descending from Meinehof, South Burgenland
area.

Thanks for visiting my homepage and telling me about the incorrect e-mail
address, they promised me to direct the mail to my usual address, but it does
not seem to work. I hope I'll find some time to correct and update my pages,
especially the genealogical ones. So - all our best wishes to you and the
your's from Gerhard and Martina for the New Year and for the BB another year
of growth and succes. Best regards, Gerhard

P.S.: I've not heard from Maureen Tighe-Brown for a long time and I'm
wondering if she's well?

GENEALOGY RESEARCH LINKS (OTHER)
Here are some additional links within the LDS FamilySearch site:
o LDS - Family History SourceGuide <http://www.familysearch.org/sg/&gt; -
extensive How-to Guides; can be sorted by subject or place (try both)

Note that the above LDS German Research Outline states the following:
-- Southeast Europe --
Starting in 1722, the Austro-Hungarian monarchs encouraged Germans to settle
their lands, especially along the devastated border with the Turks. Colonies
developed in what later became Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Initially,
twice as many Germans moved to this area as went to America. Following World
War II, most returned to Germany or Austria, but many also moved to the
United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other countries.

o Genealogy Unlimited, Inc <http://www.itsnet.com/~genun/maps.html&gt; - (for
purchase) European road atlases, maps, including Austro-Hungarian Empire
historical maps
(This site now contains the following notice: "Genealogy Unlimited has been
sold to Interlink Bookshop and Genealogical Services IBGS), Victoria, BC.
Canada <http://www.pacificcoast.net/~ibgs&gt;. The transfer of merchandise and
the closing of Genealogy Unlimited probably will occur about March of 2000.
Most of the maps and atlases in our catalog will be available from us until
the transfer occurs. After that time, IBGS will continue selling the maps and
atlases.")

o Hungarian Settlements <http://testver.sednet.hu/e_homepage.html&gt; - brief
descriptions and information on the location of villages in present day
Hungary (as of 12 Feb, this homepage states it is "out of business" and is
unreachable).

I found that you can access all the counties through the Google search engine
<http://www.google.com&gt;. Choose output of 100 results. For output in English
use these 3 keywords - testver sednet county. For Hungarian output use:
testver sednet megye. No other characters are needed (no quotes, commas, plus
signs, etc. - just those 3 words). I'll keep monitoring the site. In the
meantime, if anyone knows another fix to this, please let me know. (Anna
Kresh)

NEWSLETTERS RETURNED AS UNDELIVERABLE (addresses will be removed from the
distribution list)
>From 1/31/00

NEW MEMBERS
Edward J.Fabsits; (); Chicago, IL.
Father Ferdinand FABSITS; born Schandorf 1907, (Bezirk Oberwart)to US 1924.
His father was Joseph FABSITS (1880-1938). Mother Ethlaka VEROSZTO FABSITS
(1881-1963) Both died in Schandorf.